SC Dismisses Woman's Plea Challenging Journalist's Bail In Rape Case

Varun Hiremath bail: The Supreme Court, Friday, dismissed a plea challenging Mumbai-based journalist Varun Hiremath's pre-arrest bail in a case of alleged rape. The petition, filed by the 22-year-old woman who has accused Hiremath of rape, opposed the Delhi High Court's relief granted to him on May 13.

"We find no reason to interfere," a bench of Justices Navin Sinha and Ajay Rastogi said, rejecting her appeal, as per Live Law.

The complainant has accused Hiremath of raping her on February 20 this year, at a hotel in Delhi's posh Chanakyapuri. Hiremath has maintained all that happened was consensual.

The apex court hearing the petitioner's appeal June 4 said, "...purely for purpose of bail only, question of normal human conduct and understanding, if a man and woman are in a room, and man makes a request and woman complies with it, do we need to say anything more at this stage?"

Arguing for Hiremath's custodial interrogation, the complainant's lawyer said, "She has been honest. What she says is she said no, then he insisted, and later he penetrated her forcibly... It was not a state of continued consent."

Concluding the hearing, the court said this was a "much larger question" to be decided later.

Varun Hiremath Bail: A Look At Events In The Case

After the woman's complaint in February, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hiremath under sections 376, 342 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code at Chanakyapuri police station. As per the FIR, the complainant and accused had known each other since 2017.

Reports say the ET Now journalist was absconding since February 23 after police took cognisance of the case. A lower court in Delhi dismissed his anticipatory bail application on March 12 and an arrest warrant was issued. In April, Delhi HC granted him protection and Hiremath agreed to join the investigation.

The woman complainant has reportedly appealed for the probe to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging lapses in Delhi police's investigation.